Island



(N0 Modl.)

J. F. THAYER.

BUTTON SETTING TooL.

No. 445,304. Patented Jan.27,1891.

WI TNEEE as. I NVENTDR.

' M Tami, 51. Thu an ATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. THAYER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON-SETTING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,304, dated January27, 1891.

Application filed November 19, 1890. Serial No. 371,914. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES F. THAYEP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence,in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFastener-Attaching Instruments; and I do declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to instruments or tools for attaching buttons tofabrics by means of pronged fasteners, and has for its object to providea device whereby the buttons are quickly and securely attached, all aswill be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 represents my improved instrument with button and fastener inposition for use. Fig. 2 is a front end view of the same with button andfastener removed. Fig. 3 is a like view with fastener-holding springremoved. Fig. 4: is a side sectional view of the front end of the uppermember of the instrument. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the same.

As organized in the present instance, a and I) represent, respectively,the upper and lower members of a plier-like instrumentpii'oted at c andoperated by the handles (1 and e, as is usual.

("6 represents the button, and (Z the fast ener for attaching same.

The member a is provided at its front end with a fastener-holder a,secured in the pres ent instance to said member by the screw or the samemaybe formed integral with said member. The fastener-holder a isprovided with a rectangular groove to for the reception of the crown orarch of a fastener wrought in the front and lower end thereof at rightangles to the length of the instrument, in form approximating thecontour of the crown or arch of the fastener. The groove (0 isdovetailed or Vshaped in cross-section, its rear wall being parallelwith the back side of the fastener-holder a and angled outward to thefront of said fastener-holder, as fully shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of thedrawings, and is of a depth somewhat less than the diameter of the wireof the fastener, so that the spring Z), hereinafter described, willclamp the crown or arch of the fastener when placed in said groove. Thefastener-holder a is also provided with a eross-slot a extending acrossthe groove o to receive the eye of the button (1', as shown in Figs. 3and 5 of the drawings. The front face of the fastener-holder a isfurther provided with a flat spring I), previously mentioned, secured atthe upper part thereof by means of the screw a said spring being alsocross-slotted in its lower end correspondingly with the slot a" of thefastenerholder a, said slot being also adapted to straddle the eye ofthe button.

The member Z) is provided on its outer end with a clinching-die c,wrought in the face thereof, for bending and clinching the legs of thefastener in contact.

In operation the crown or arch of the fastener (P, with button (1loosely suspended thereon, is inserted into the groove 0. back of thespring I), said spring clamping said crown or arch flatwise and holdingthe fast ener firmly in position with its legs exposed and standing atright angles to the length of the instrument directly over and oppositethe clinching-die c of the member I), as fully shown in Fig. 1. Thefabric being placed on the die 0, the two members of the instrument arebrought together, the legs of the fastener are pressed through thefabric, and on coming in contact with the die 0 are firmly clinched 011the under side thereof.

It will be observed that the side of the crown or arch of the fastenerrests against the rear wall of the groove to when in position forclinching, the spring Z1 holding it in place. The upper end of thefastener abuts or wedges against the angled portion of the groove a",said angled portion taking the endwise strain incident to the clinchingoperation and rendering it impossible for the fastener to movefrontwardin said groove. It will also be observed that the fastener isheld and attached independent of the action of. the button, as the saidbutton rests loosely on the fastener in attachment. In this respect thedevice is admirably adapted for inserting fasteners where buttons arenotrequired, in which case the cross-slot a in the fastenerholder andspring may be omitted.

I have shown and described my improvement as applied to ahand-plier-like instrument. It is evident the same may be equallyadapted to organized machines to be operated by foot or other suitablepower.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A11 instrument for attachingpronged fasteners to fabrics, one member of which is provided with a diefor bending and clinching the legs of the fastener, the opposite memberhaving a vertical and transverse groove to receive the crown or arch ofthe fastener, and a spring to retain the crown or arch in said groove,substantially as set forth.

2. An instrument for attaching pronged fasteners to fabrics, one memberof which is provided with a die for bending and clinching the legs ofthe fastener, the opposite member being provided with a rectangularV-shapcd groove and atransverse groove substantially at right anglesthereto and further provided with a flat spring, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. In an instrument for attaching fasteners to fabriea-and incombination with the clinching member thereof, the fastener-holdingmember having a cross slotted V-shaped groove to receive the crown orarch of the fastener, and a bifurcated spring to clamp said crown orarch flatwise in said groove, substantially as specified.

4:. An instrument for attaching fasteners to fabrics, one member ofwhich is provided with a groove to receive the crown or arch of thefastener, and a fiat spring to clamp said crown or arch fiatwise in saidgroove, the opposite member being provided with clinching dies for'bending and clinching the legs of the fastener, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES F. T HAY ER.

Witnesses;

F. A. SMITH, J r., GEO. W. PRENTICE.

